The Bird's Eye View - Nikola Drobac

Nikola Drobac - 10/29/02

This page was last updated on July 2, 2004.

GOP messing things up; Nikola (Nick) Drobac; Beaver County Times; October 29, 2002.

I responded with a letter entitled (by the Times) Time to leave the nest published on November 12, 2002.

Nikola Drobac’s letter to the editor (“GOP messing things up”, Oct. 29) railed against Republicans for opposing big government and Social Security. The main message was Americans can’t take care of their own retirement needs, requiring government to serve in a parental capacity. Also, the writer mistakenly believes all Republicans oppose Social Security and everyone else supports it.

I find it sad so many people have so little self-confidence that they believe government will take better care of their personal needs than the individuals themselves. It’s like a baby bird afraid to leave the nest. Worse, those without the confidence to leave the nest don’t want to allow the rest of us to leave either. Fear is like that.

I don’t understand Mr. Drobac’s mean-spirited hope that he will be able to laugh as all Republicans face financial ruin in retirement, calling us fools because we may have more confidence in ourselves than in government bureaucrats and politicians.

Though I disagree with the writer’s apparent position regarding Social Security, I would never wish it to go bankrupt so I could laugh as he and all other Social Security supporters became destitute. In fact, I hope he has a reliable retirement income in addition to Social Security unless he wants to live in poverty or close to it. Even the Social Security Administration says not to rely on Social Security as your sole source of retirement income. Further, the Social Security statement I received recently indicated Social Security would become insolvent within the next 40 years unless payroll taxes increase or benefits decrease.

Even if it’s “only” in retirement, we as individuals cannot be financially dependent on our government and be truly free. Government must be dependent on individuals for funding; it must never be the other way around.